Meanwhiles and Neverweres
by KuriQuinn
Summary: Kaguya has won and the last of the shinobi lie dying, but Team 7 gets the chance to risk it all on one last desperate gamble: trade this reality for another and save more than just their own lives. But time-travel is tricky, and changing the past is never as easy as it seems. [Time Travel/ Alterate Reaility /Fixit/ Character death (ish)/Non-Massacre AU / ObiRin / Eventual SasuSaku]
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** **This story utilizes characters, situations and premises that are copyright Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. No infringement on their respective copyrights pertaining to episodes, novelizations, comics or short stories is intended by the author in any way, shape or form. This fan oriented story is written solely for the author's own amusement and the entertainment of the readers. It is not for profit. Any resemblance to real organizations, institutions, products or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All fiction, plot and Original Characters with the exception of those introduced in the books, manga, video games, novelizations and anime, are the sole creation of KuriQuinn and using them without permission is considered rude, in bad-taste and will reflect seriously on your credibility as a writer. You will be have your life-force zapped by an angry demon bunny goddess should you be found plagiarizing.**

 **Warning:** _ **Spoilers**_ **up to Manga Chapter 689; AU/AR from Chapter 689; rewriting of history; non-canon-compliant; character death (ish. it's complicated.)**

 **Eventual Pairings:** **(so you guys know what you're in for) Obito/Rin, hints Sakura/Sasuke, hints Naruto/Hinata, hints Itachi/Shisui, others TBD**

 **AN: _An Inch of Gold_ is finally winding down, and this story has been on my mind for a while. So enjoy!**

* * *

 **PROLOGUE**

It happens too fast to follow.

One moment, the three of them are in perfect sync: Naruto reaching from the right, Sasuke from the left and Sakura barrelling downward, fist strong – all of them poised to deliver a final blow to Kaguya.

And then, abruptly – inexplicably – the boys are in crumpled heaps upon the dry, rocky ground. Their chakra is gone, the remnants of their life-forces bleeding out of them, along with the last hopes of the entire world.

As Kaguya and her inky black hellspawn loom in the air above them, drunk on their victory and radiating with newly absorbed chakra, Sakura crawls on broken bones back to her teammates. Desperately trying to call up whatever healing energy she can, she doesn't notice Kakashi beside her until he speaks.

"It's no use," he rasps, staring down at the pale, hollow faces of his students. His voice is raw, as if he has been screaming. "They're too far gone."

"No – no they're – I can save them!"

"Sa…ku…ra…" Sasuke wheezes.

"Hold on, Sasuke! Naruto!"

"G-go," Naruto pants, coughing as blood trails over his lips. "…you have to…"

"After them, you have the most chakra," Kakashi says dully, eyes flitting back up the demon goddess in the sky. It's only a matter of time before she remembers they're still down here. "She'll come for you next."

And then him.

"Which means there's no point in running," Sakura snaps, tears coursing down her cheeks. "If I'm going to die, it will be protecting the people who are precious to me. Because we don't leave our comrades behind!"

Kakashi gazes at her for half a heart beat, and his eyes blur. "No…no, we don't."

"Sakura…" Sasuke whispers, and their attention falls to him. Blood leaks from both his eyes now, cloudy black and unseeing, the mighty Mangekyō and Rinnegan no longer visible there. "I…"

"If you apologise now, I will beat you to death myself," she promises him harshly. But her tone belies her true feelings, fingers shaking as she tenderly brushes his bangs off his forehead.

His mouth twitches like he's not sure whether to smile or frown.

"…annoying," he finally manages.

"Hey – Sasuke –" Naruto begins, but is briefly cut off by a wet, hacking cough. More blood spills from his mouth, thick and almost black.

Sakura does her best to stem the flow, but Naruto's insides are shredded beyond her abilities now. The last scion of the Uchiha grimaces with effort to turn to the blond. Only as Naruto stops gasping does he manage it.

"What?" he asks, and somehow, even here at the end, he can still sound utterly exasperated with him.

"Gimme…your hand…"

"Why?"

"Because…I'm your fucking best friend…and we're about to die," Naruto growls, and the startled laugh that Sakura emits is more of a sob. Kakashi's jaw clenches so tightly his teeth might shatter.

For a wonder, Sasuke doesn't argue. He tries to move his left hand but can't. He doesn't have the strength.

Seeing this, Sakura reaches over, shoulders shaking with emotion, and brings her teammates hands together, pressing their palms together. Those are blank now, stripped of the sun and moon marks when Kaguya ripped their chakra from them.

As their hands fit into each other's, Naruto begins to curl two fingers around Sasuke's into what Sakura recognises as the Seal of Reconciliation. A breath later, and Sasuke returns the gesture.

Now Sakura does sob.

"Of course, it would take you two dying," she sniffs. " _Shannaro_...idiots."

"Some things…" Sasuke says, pauses to gasp for a breath, and continues, "don't change."

He does his best to meet Sakura's gaze, and it's clear those words are meant for her as well. She tries to smile at him, but it seems this is one task beyond even her strength.

Kakashi reaches forward, covering all of their hands with his own – one hand pressing them together from above, the other holding them from below.

"I should have known that day," he tells them ruefully, "that you'd all be the death of me."

"Oh, come on…Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto quips. "Would you have it…any other…way…?"

The last syllable becomes a whisper, and Naruto's form begins to still.

"N-no! _No_!" Sakura cries, as Sasuke's grasp also begins to go slack, and she joins her other hand to Kakashi's, trying to keep them all together for a little longer. " _Please!"_

But there's no one to hear her prayer, nothing left for it but for the remnants of Team 7 to sit there and wait for the inevitable end.

つづく

* * *

 _And so we have yet another ominous beginning. I'm really looking forward to writing this story. It's a departure from most of what I've written so far, so I hope you guys like it._

 _I was originally going to make this prologue much longer, but it turned into a lot of telling versus showing. So instead of the big long info-dump and way too much description... if you want to know what happens next, you're just going to have to read the rest of the story. I'm mean like that :)_

 _Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!_

 _(And yes, the title is taken from Doctor Who)_

 _ **クリ**_


	2. Chapter One

_AN: Maybe go back and reread the warnings at the beginning of the fic...Just sayin'..._

* * *

When Kakashi comes to himself, he is disoriented.

The last thing he remembers is a pulling, tearing pain, like his insides were being stripped from his bones, and a strange, ethereal voice, heavy with warning.

 ** _'Concentrate on the moment. The rest will follow.'_**

The words make absolutely no sense. And yet, somehow, he can't bring himself to care overly much. He knows that normally he would. After all, standing in a dank, dark cave with no memory of how he got there strikes him as being a cause for concern.

It's just hard to feel worried about his own fortune when, two feet away, the calm face of Rin Nohara is visible through the shadows.

The rest of the world coalesces around him, as if he has been forcibly jerked into wakefulness. The damp, musty air smells of blood and tastes like smoke. He hears the trickle of water and the shift of rocks beneath his shoes. And there is a sharp, burning throb in his left eye.

An eye which he can't see out of.

"What…?"

Rin doesn't move, eyes vacant and staring. The utter blankness there makes Kakashi's stomach clench.

Too late. He still came back too late!

The thoughts make no sense, and they feel as if coming from far away.

"Kakashi, what the hell are you waiting for?" a voice to his left hisses, and before he can properly react he is nudged to one side.

And that's Obito. Crouching beside him as he examines Rin's still form with worry, that's his friend.

"Obito," Kakashi intones, mouth dry, because it's _not_ possible. He watched him die. Twice. How is he here, beside him and with Rin, and...

The ethereal voice speaks again, still sounding far away.

 ** _'…I have the ability to send you back…'_**

Kakashi shakes himself. None of this makes sense.

"This is genjutsu, that should be easy for you!" Obito continues, sounding mildly disgusted. He brings his hand forward and makes a sign " _Kai_!"

Rin gasps as she is freed from the illusion, eyes widening with awareness.

"Obito?" she questions, attention falling first on him and then moving to beyond, confusion wrinkling her forehead. "Kakashi?'

Already things are different. But that's a good thing,

"We came to save you," Obito tells her. "You'll be alright now."

"Yeah," Kakashi says, finding his voice. "Of…of course we did."

Obito shoots him an annoyed look, which Kakashi can't understand right away. Then he remembers –

Right. He didn't want to come back for her that time.

This time.

He's so confused.

 ** _'Not your physical self of course. But minds and souls, they are more flexible.'_**

Kakashi decides that perhaps it's time to heed the voice in his head, and so mentally shakes himself. He needs to inhabit the present, because there's no time to dwell on anything else. They don't have the time.

"Come on, we have to get going," he tells them. "We're all getting out of this damn cave this time."

His teammates appear puzzled by this statement, but he offers not explanation. As he unties Rin, a snide voice echoes across the cavern at them.

"You guys made a good team – but you're still just kids."

The three of them turn in unison, watching as the hard-eyed, dark-haired man at the edge of the cave slowly gets to his feet.

 _Jōnin. From Iwa. Right._

The memory of this still feels too far away, yet too important to ignore. As he mentally tugs at it, trying to bring it to the forefront of his mind, other thoughts and recollections begin to stream back to him. Not just of today, but other events –

Mother and Father's deaths. The Academy. Minato-sensei's bell test. Losing Obito – today – and Rin not even a year later. ANBU and Tenzō. Failing to protect Kushina Uzumaki. The Nine-Tails attack. ANBU. Discovering the entire Uchiha clan massacred. Training and failing his first genin squads. Finding himself in charge of Team 7. Zabuza and Haku in the Land of Waves. Training Sasuke during the Chūnin Exams. Failing to save Lord Third. Being trapped in Itachi Uchiha's Tsukuyomi. Losing Sasuke. Empty missions after his students all went their separate ways. Trying not to die from the blow of one of Sakura's fists. Using up all his strength trying to save the Kazekage from Akatsuki. Teaching Naruto better control. Asuma's funeral. Once again being too late to save Sasuke. Dying in the rubble of Konoha, but somehow being brought back. Saving Sakura from dying the same as Rin. Fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Discovering Obito was behind it all. Madara Uchiha. The demon goddess Kaguya. Obito's final death. His students, united once more. Kaguya ripping into Sasuke and Naruto. The eerie, ethereal light in the darkness. A pale hand grasping his forehead, and that voice – !

 ** _'Visualise the moment in your life that you could go back and change. Something that would divert this course of events. Something that would stop this time, and this place, from ever happening.'_**

It's too much, too fast –

"Augh!" Kakashi staggers, clutching at his head in desperation to make the dizzying thoughts stop somehow.

"Kakashi!" Rin gasps, and he feels her arms around him, holding him up, but he struggles out of her grasp.

It is _definitely_ not the time, and as of this moment, he remember why.

 ** _'I can give you an hour – at most.'_**

He has a time-limit.

"Right now, you're in enemy hands," the Iwa jōnin sniggers, forming hand signs. It's too fast for Kakashi to notice without a Sharingan. The laughter becomes a snarl as he shoves his fist into the ground. " _Doton: Iwayado Kuzushi!"_

Kakashi tenses, because he knows what happens next.

"Run toward the forest and do not stop no matter what!" Kakashi shouts. "Go! Now!"

The earth splits from the point of impact, travelling across the ground and up the damp walls, splintering cracks outward in a sinister spider-web of destruction. The cave begins to fall to pieces around them, sharp and bulky pieces of stone falling like missiles around them as they run. Kakashi follows them, one eye sharp… _waiting._

He has relived this moment, every night of his life, for almost eighteen years.

It's why he knows exactly when to reach up and punch his fist upward, batting away the rock that is headed for him. He feels the bones in his hand crack – another wave of pain encompasses him – and he staggers a little, but this time, _this_ time he doesn't fall.

This time he keeps running.

This time Obito doesn't come back for him and throw him out of the way, but keeps going, utterly focussed on Rin.

Kakashi wants to laugh in delight, but it's too early for that. They are not out of the woods yet – or the cave, as it were.

Rocks and dust continue to rain down on them, the interior of the cavern imploding and sending more debris after them as they run. Kakashi catches up to the others, shoving them as close to the mouth of the cave as possible. It's the only way they're going to survive this.

With no more space to run, he throws his arms around them and tries to offer them whatever protection he can from the final phase of the cave-in.

The dust settles, and for several long moments they don't move.

Then, Kakashi pulls away from his friends and the other two glance around in surprise.

"We're alive?" Rin asks, stunned. She isn't the only one.

"Looks like," Kakashi says easily, glancing surreptitiously down at his friends to ensure they haven't sustained any injuries he doesn't know about.

"Wow, that's a big rock," Obito comments, and Kakashi follows his gaze to the giant boulder embedded in the ground not six feet away from them.

He shudders.

In another life, that stone crushed a young, idyllic boy until nothing but a bitter, broken murderer was left. But right now…for right now, no one is crushed or bleeding or dying. Kakashi is tempted to cry out of sheer disbelief and joy. Instead, he forces himself to stay sharp, because this isn't over. If they are all going to get through this, they need to coordinate.

 _Because as of right now, it's all different._

"That guy is still out there," Kakashi says, effortlessly slipping into the command role. "He thinks we're dead, so we need to be fast. A coordinated attack, and we aim for the kill." Rin and Obito nod. "This is what we're going to do – I'll act as a decoy, while you two attack him from behind. Obito, you use your Sharingan –"

"It activated?" Rin interrupts, studying his face with a mixture of pride and concern.

"Um – well, yeah, it sorta did – I-I guess," Obito mumbles, turning red. His Sharingan fade to black.

"That's great!"

"We can congratulate him later," Kakashi interrupts. "After we survive."

"Right!" his teammate chorus, instantly focussing again.

"As I was saying – Obito, use your Sharingan to keep an eye on his movements. The minute you see him even shift the wrong way, you attack from his blindspot. Rin, you use your medical ninjutsu – sever his nerves and we can stop him in his tracks."

"I've…never done that before."

"I trust your skills," Kakashi insists. "This is a kill operation. He won't tell us any information and I won't giving him another opportunity to hurt you two."

"It should be me playing decoy," Obito argues, and after a pause, he grudgingly says, "Your attacks are stronger than mine."

"No. Right now, you're in peak condition and your Sharingan gives you an advantage. I have a handicap –" he points to his badly bandaged eye, " – so he'll think I'm the easier target. It will also make it more believable that I'm the only one who made it out, so he won't be expecting you two. Got it?"

"…Fine."

They straighten up and prepare to take their positions. Kakashi inhales deeply, mentally preparing for the next challenge. On a whim, he glances back. "Rin?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of Obito."

"I-I…okay?"

"Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean!" he friend hisses at him, but Kakashi is already climbing out of the cavern.

The rocks obscuring the small exit of the cave explode as Kakashi barrels through them, landing in a crouch several feet away from the Iwa nin.

The dark-haired man snorts. "Man, you're one stubborn kid. But still a kid. Come on, let's settle this."

Kakashi smirks, because even if it happens differently, he knows exactly how this is going to go.

His opponent has the sense to look unsure.

Kakashi attacks as he did in his first life, grasping his father's blade in hand. He remembers that the last time he attacked with it, it broke. This time, instead of clashing with his enemy head-on, Kakashi pitches forward, burying the blade in the ground and using the momentum to swing himself around to kick the bastard's feet out from beneath him.

As the Iwa nin flails for purchase, his weapons go flying.

Rin and Obito appear instantly on either side of him in a flawless combo attack – Obito's knee smashes into the other guy's nose and jaw, while Rin's hand move across the tendons in his arms and legs.

The enemy jōnin crumples like a puppet.

In a quick, arcing movement, Kakashi pulls the blade from the ground and delivers the killing blow, punching through the man's gut and twisting.

The three of them stand remain still for a moment, out of breath and considering one another warily.

"Well…that was easy," Obito says, though he sounds somewhat doubtful. "Should that have been harder? I get the feeling that should have been harder."

Kakashi retrieves his father's blade and swipes it clean. He experiences a giddy sense of disbelief, because _they won_. And none of them died

"Never mind that, we won!" Rin cheers. She beams up at Kakashi. "Thanks for coming to get me."

Her eyes shine, and oh, how he remembers that look of hero worship.

But he's a better man than he was – he has learned far more than the snot-nosed kid he is temporarily inhabiting, and it's time to set the tone for their future together.

"It was Obito's idea," Kakashi replies honestly, getting up. "I wasn't going to come back, but he gave me some really good advice."

He shoots a meaningful look back at his friend, and Obito's eyes widen. Then he laughs, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Well?" Rin prompts. "Don't keep me in suspense!"

"It wasn't really advice," he hedges, "I just…reminded Kakashi, is all. That there's nothing more important than saving one's comrades."

"Hm," Kakashi agrees, and after a moment, reaches out a fist. Obito stares at blankly for several seconds, and then beams. Reaching out, he knocks knuckles with Kakashi.

Rin looks between them, obviously confused. "Did…one or both of you hit your heads? You're acting really friendly for onc –"

Obito gives a sudden cry and throws himself forward, knocking Rin out of the path of shuriken. Kakashi swears and turns his back to his teammates, staring into the surrounding woods. In the height of the moment, he forgot that there are seven more Iwa nin surrounding them.

They're not done yet.

"Alright, you two," he says as Rin and Obito struggle to their feet. "We've got this."

"Damn right," Obito smirks, hitting his fist into the palm of his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi sees the Sharingan re-activate, while Rin's hands glow blue. Kakashi tightens his grip on his father's blade and takes a deep breath.

This is the last hurdle. If they can hold off long enough, Minato will arrive. They will all be safe and the remnant of his previous life can succumb to eternal peace with no regrets.

 ** _'Concentrate on the moment. The rest will follow.'_**

The first attack comes from above, forcing them to scatter before they can fall into their habitual defense formation. Before Kakashi can stop it, he and his friends have been separated as the enemy jōnin heard them away from one another, trying to target the weakest member of the squad.

Once that might have been Obito, but he holds his own, taking on two Iwa nin by himself. Rin concerns herself with another, trying to back away from him enough to give herself more room to operate. The others surround Kakashi, likely seeing him as the weakest because of his injury.

He wishes they were wrong.

Despite almost two decades more experience in the field, without the Sharingan to help him, Kakashi is having a harder time with this than he did the first time around. Even with Obito and Rin fighting by his side, he just can't anticipate the attacks of so many opponents.

When he first arrived, changing the course of things was easy – he knew that the rock was going to hit him, and he knew that the Iwa nin would be waiting. Everything afterword has become guesswork and instinct. And the blind spot on his left side is truly a hindrance now.

He manages to stun two of them temporarily with several hits in quick succession, but the other two avoid him easily.

Several feet away, Rin's opponent gets in a blow in, slicing her across the back with a kunai. She grunts and falls forward to the ground, immediately drawing Obito's attention.

"Rin!"

As her attacker reverses his blade, preparing to impart the killing strike on her, Obito skids across the clearing and throw himself in front.

Blood sprays in the air as he takes the hit meant for her, reeling back a step.

"No!" Kakashi cries, landing a cracking punch on one man's jaw, before being grappled from behind by another.

"Obito!" Rin screams. "What are you doing –?"

But Obito smirks, pressing his hands to his chest, trying to pinch the open wound closed.

"Heh…I'd be a pretty crappy guy if I let the girl I love get killed, wouldn't I?" he tells her, inclining his head slightly in Rin's direction.

"You'll be a dead guy in a minute!" the Iwa nin snaps, making another attempt on Obito. Rin shouts, pulling Obito back and out of the way. The two of them tumble aside in a pile of blood and limbs.

Kakashi grits his teeth, still struggling to keep the hands holding onto him from choking the life from his body.

He can't believe it. After everything – after coming back, after saving them – it's going to happen again. He's going to lose them again, because he's put himself in a position where he's less than he was the first time around –

Back then he used _chidori_. He could see every enemy as he moved, avoided every counter attack while at the same time maintaining the force and speed necessary to keep from damaging himself. This time, if he were to try, there's a high likelihood he would get killed before he could save his friends.

Unless he does something really stupid.

There's a way to take out all of them, to save Rin and Obito, but…

Kakashi tightens his grip on the enemy trying to cut off his oxygen.

If he dies now, this him will never get to reclaim the time he lost with his friends. This him will never get to meet his future team – the mouthy, stubborn and often wayward three kids he has grown to care for as if they are his own. The Kakashi of this time will never see the world Naruto dreamed of building, or if Sasuke will finally _get it_ or if Sakura has a chance to surpass her teammates or if that minor fling with the Inuzuka girl was supposed to go anywhere –

But if he doesn't do something, the two people he loved and who never got their chance will die.

 ** _'I will send you back into your past and give you the opportunity to change all of this. To save us all – if you wish to take it. To gamble away this lifetime in favour of another.'_**

Kakashi snorts.

 _Well, what's the point of all this if I don't save them now?_

It's not really a decision, in the end.

Shouting in rage and frustration, Kakashi finds the strength to flip his attack over, burying his father's blade deep in his neck. Then he dives toward the ongoing melee, throwing himself between his teammates and their attackers, fingers crackling with electricity.

"No! Kakashi, Minato-sensei told you not to use that jutsu!" Rin shouts, as the stunned men from earlier follow and surround them.

"I'm not," he replies. "This is something different – _Raiton: Raij_ _ū Tsuiga_!"

White hot light and screaming birdsong explode from his palm, tearing energy from every cell in his body. Pain rips into him and something in the left side of his chest gives. In sharp contrast to the electricity searing through his veins, the sensation that radiates into the rest of his consciousness is cold.

With a bellow of effort, and the rest of his body going limp, Kakashi wills the remainder of his strength into his right arm and shoves it full force in front of him.

A giant, brilliant shape erupts from his palm, growing in size as it gallops forth, intent on the remaining enemies. The sound of electricity hitting the air echoes like a snarl, and claws of lightning leave smoking craters in the ground as the Lightning Hound picks up speed.

Kakashi doesn't let up, pouring every last bit of chakra into maintaining the jutstu, even as his left arm goes limp. In fact, the whole upper left side of his body is quickly lost to him in wave upon wave of pain. He might be screaming, but his voice is lost in the agonised screams of the enemy.

When the lightning dissipates, everyone is on the ground, except for Rin and Obito. They stare at him in awe, and perhaps a little fear, but it doesn't matter now. They'll live.

"Don't…fuck…with my friends," Kakashi chuckles weakly, taking a staggering step forward. The ground falls away and the world tilts, and before he's truly aware he falls to his knees.

"Kakashi!"

His vision swims, tunnelling out into an indistinct black.

 ** _'Concentrate on the moment. The rest will follow.'_**

When he returns to himself, Rin and Obito are kneeling beside him. A tree casts some shade over them, but dazzling glimpses of sun and blue shift through the green. He thinks they must have moved him. Obito's chest isn't gushing blood anymore, which means Rin's healed him and moved on to Kakashi.

Which explains her hurried movements, hands on his chest, interspersing compressions with sharp bursts of cool chakra. Despite the relief her efforts bring to the places where she touches him, Kakashi feels his body getting colder.

He says nothing at first, squinting against the sun. Despite his weakness and the enormous weight on his chest that is _just_ edging into the realm of pain, he feels clear-headed.

"You bastard!" Obito yells, furious. His face is flushed with anger and panic, darting glances between Kakashi to Rin, who is pale beside him. Blood trickles down the underside of her arm.

Right. She was hurt.

"Rin…" Kakashi murmurs, "You have to…heal yourself before you bleed out."

"Shut up, I'm fine!" she insists, doggedly shaking her head. "I've got to – to save –" Her words cut into a devastated gasp. "No…"

Tears begin to inch down her cheeks, her bottom lip trembling. The picture is too familiar –

 _" – it's no use. They're too far gone."_

 _"No – no they're – I can save them –!"_

"You two would have had a lot in common," Kakashi chuckles, then winces, because the unnecessary jarring of his body hurts too much.

"What the hell does that mean?" Obito demands. "What's going on? Rin?!"

"The…the electricity," she whispers, pulling away and wringing her hands. "It triggered a massive heart attack. His heart's damaged…the extent is – it's more than I can fix." Her eyes are wide with panic, her words tinged with a disbelief like she doesn't completely understand what she's saying herself. "I don't have the power."

"Rin – "

"M-maybe if Lady Tsunade Senju were here right now," she continues wildly, her voice becoming more panicked with every second, "but I can't – I can't –" Her voice breaks in an all-out, gut-wrenching sob, and she peers pleadingly at Obito as if he can somehow make it better. "I…can try to keep him comfortable, but he's got maybe…maybe ten minutes. Less than thirty."

 ** _'You will not have much time.'_**

"Then we carry him to – someone's got to be nearby who can help!"

"You don't understand, Obito! His heart's going to fail and…and I can't save him!"

She's desperately trying to keep her composure as she delivers the news, but it's clear that she's breaking with every syllable. Obito, jaw clenched and knuckles white, gathers her into his arms and holds onto her.

"It's okay," he tells her in a harsh whisper, like he's telling himself as well. "Rin, it'll be okay…"

"I only had…an hour anyway," Kakashi says with an apologetic smile, watching the two people he has kept close to his heart so long. Two people that are going to _live_ this time. "And I did…everything I needed to. My only regrets…"

His mind flies to another group of people precious to him, and his dying heart twinges from a pain that isn't physical.

Whiskers and a devil-may-care attitude. Pink hair and a loyal heart. Haunted black eyes and diehard determination. Kakashi will never get to see how they turn out this time. But if he has anything to say about it, this time their lives will be better.

"I don't have…a lot of time left," he begins, sensing the icy fingers of death creeping steadily closer. "So you two need to listen." Rin pulls away from Obito and they both gaze down at him in confusion and sorrow. "No matter how strange…it sounds."

"Stop wasting your breath and tell us already," Obito snaps, wiping his nose angrily. His tears are overflowing now too, and he has no goggles to hide behind.

Kakashi smirks at this.

"Burn my body once I'm dead," he orders. "Don't…bring it back to the village."

He doesn't want a scrap of his blood left for someone to play with. Kabuto might never master his reanimation jutsu in this life, but Kakashi won't take that chance.

"But –!" Rin begins to protest, only for Kakashi to quickly cuts her off.

"Obito…use your clan technique…until I'm nothing but ash…" he commands. "Understand…?"

"I-I-I –" Obito swallows painfully, then nods. "Understood."

"Swear you'll do it."

"I swear already!"

"Good." Kakashi's breathe rattles, and he continues. "Tell Minato-sensei…goodbye for me. And if he – _when_ he has a kid, you watch out for him. Both of you. He'll be…amazing." He grins at the memory of a human beacon of light, then continues. "Obito – if any of your cousins ever show…aptitude…teach them the _chidori_. I know you…copied it just now. Couldn't help it, with those eyes. Make sure it's someone…who might be passed over by others. The one that needs to…shine a little brighter."

Obito clenches a shaking fist, unable to reply, but nods.

"And Rin – you're so skilled. You'll be…an amazing teacher. Somewhere in Konoha…there will be a girl…who needs your guidance. One day…she'll merit the attention of Lady Tsunade…herself," Kakashi tells her. "But until then, she's going to…need someone to mentor her. I did…a horrible job."

There is fear and confusion in Rin's gaze now, and the eyes of a doctor listening to a rambling patient. "Kakashi, I don't understand –"

"Not losing my mind," he assures her. "You'll understand…one day. Until then, both of you…protect my students. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Remember those names."

 ** _'The moment you go back, this time and place ceases to exist.'_**

Pale and wordless, Rin can do nothing but nod uncertainly. When Kakashi raises an eyebrow at him, Obito does as well and says, "A-alright. We will."

"I mean it," Kakashi says. "You find them, and you…watch. And if they ever speak…about things that make no sense… people, or places… _listen_."

"Okay."

"Swear to it –" Kakashi insists, before his body is wracked with coughs. Rin gives a wordless cry and bends closer to him, desperately trying to pump more healing chakra into his system, trying to buy him a few more minutes.

"Of course! Of course we swear!" Obito says quickly, and a bitter scoff escapes him. "Geez, what's with all the vows, you got a list?"

Kakashi laughs now, and it's worth the pain.

The sunny afternoon begins to blur, superimposed with an unearthly darkness and a mysterious pale figure leaning over him.

It won't be long now, but Kakashi isn't quite done yet.

"If I could…I have…things I want to say…to you both…privately…"

Rin moans in denial, and Obito presses his fist against his mouth as if trying to hold back his own cry. Precious seconds pass, before Rin leans forward, the movements halting and jerky, as if anything faster might shatter her into pieces.

When she is finally close to him, Kakashi turns his head to one side, his bloodstained lips a hairs width away from her ear. He puts every shred of effort into this to keep from stuttering or faltering. She has to understand the importance of his message.

"If you are ever assigned a mission to Kiri, don't accept it," Kakashi warns.

Rin pulls away, confusion plain on her face. "What do you…?"

Kakashi's right hand snaps up, a painful last effort, but snags in the front of her shirt.

"Just promise me," he insists.

"I…I promise."

"Good." He relaxes somewhat, and then motions her close again. She looks warier this time, but once more inches forward.

This time, it's what he should have said to begin with.

"I always loved you," he tells her, "even if I…never said. I didn't…deserve you."

"Kakashi, I…"

"I know. I…always knew. Thank you," he tells her.

Now she finally does lose her composure, her shoulders wracked with sorrow and sobs scraping up from her belly. She presses her forehead to his, and when she kisses him, it's salted with tears and blood. The caress is brief, as if it's too painful for her, which he sees is true when she pulls away from him and lets her face fall into her hands.

Again, the ache in his heart has nothing to do with his wounds.

Kakashi wishes he didn't have to put her through this pain, but he has absolute faith that it will get better after this. The right people will live this time, and every tragedy born from this day will be erased.

 ** _'Everything that has occurred for you in this reality will be gone.'_**

He shifts a little, meeting his friend's gaze.

Obito has watched the entire scene in silence, his expression hard and unreadable. Kakashi saw that Uchiha way of looking far too often during his time as a jōnin instructor, and he needs to do away with it as soon as possible.

"Obito…"

He would motion for him, but it seems his limbs have finally stopped obeying his commands. Luckily his words startle Obito out of what looks to be dark thoughts, and the other boy crouches down closer to him.

"You are…my best friend," Kakashi tells him, the full force of two of his lives bleeding into those words. "You are…the one that has to survive. You are…important."

"Shut up, no I'm not," Obito growls. His eyes flicker between black and red, and Kakashi suspects just what is awakening there.

"It was…my honour to save you…this time," Kakashi continues on doggedly. "Don't you dare…let my death lead you to hatred. You have…Rin." They both glance at Rin, who is still turned away, shoulders shaking. "You hold on to her, and…use your Mangekyō…to protect her and the village…we all love."

"Use my…?" Obito whispers, shock and confusion briefly overtaking his angry sadness.

"Can't…explain that one…sorry. But, one more thing…very important," Kakashi continues, fighting off the climbing need for sleep. "...secret…"

Obito leans closer now, taking the place beside Kakashi that Rin had before.

"Tell…no one…not even…" Kakashi coughs, choking on the bloody fluid that continues to inch up his throat. Still, he wills himself to continue. "Find out…what you can…future rests on it, okay?"

"…Okay," Obito says, incredulous, but Kakashi hears iron resolve there. He will humour the dying wish of a comrade with every shred of his being. That's always been Obito's way.

"Zetsu, Madara and Kaguya," Kakashi tells him. "The others…they'll tell you more. Maybe they'll have more…time. Until then…find out everything… _carefully_."

"Zets…Madara? As in Uch – Why are you –?"

Obito can't seem to decide what to ask first. It's just as well, there's no time left to answer him.

Kakashi narrows his eye. "Swear…you'll do it."

"You know I will. I swear."

"Good." Kakashi lets himself relax now, no longer fighting off the numbness that has been setting in everywhere. "Good…"

 ** _'It will be erased and replaced with whatever changes you can cause.'_**

He smiles up at the sky. "All things considered…this is better than…the last time I died…"

"You're not making sense," Rin murmurs, taking his hand in her own. He can't even squeeze it back.

"You…big…jerk," Obito sniffs. "Selfish ass. It's just like you to die before I could give you your gift."

Kakashi squints at him, lazy humour filling the remaining parts of him that can still feel. "You're a bit late…aren't you?"

"Shut up. I only just had an idea."

"There's nothing I need. I've achieved…everything I –"

"No, I know," Obito cuts him off. "I remember what you said before – this won't be some useless extra baggage, I swear. One day – when I have a child – I'll pass on your name. And everyone will know the truth about you. Whatever the village may say, you are…a great jōnin. That's how I really feel. So please accept this."

Rin is shaking with tears now.

Kakashi smiles at this.

Somehow, this version of his friend's parting words mean even more than when he heard them the first time.

"Then wherever I am… I will be your eyes," he tells him in return. "I'll keep watch over you in the future. Both of you. I promise – I'm not leaving you two behind this time. Not really."

As the light begins to go out all around them, Kakashi sighs and lets his remaining eye fall shut.

It does hurt a little now. His next inhale is more laboured, and the one after it even more so. As the air stops reaching his lungs, and the feel of his heartbeat fades to nothing, his thoughts become remarkably clear.

 _I know this will be…worth it…!_

* * *

 _Well._

 _I'm…not quite sure I know what to say after this. Except that this was a difficult decision for me to make. I love Kakashi. After Itachi, he is my heart. But the rest of the story just doesn't work with him in it. So, I hope I did his death justice._

 _This is unbetaed. As usual, edits will be done when they get done. School starts up again next week, so I'm hoping to focus more on my weekly updates than edits. But it's on the list! I swear!_

 _And finally, for those of you who are confused and asking questions like "how", "why" and "how" (all very good questions, btw), I did warn you this wouldn't be my usual format or style or genre...and stuff. Bear with me, I do have a plan._

 _But…ahem…just in case…_

 _*runs and hides*_

 ** _クリ_**


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note:** I am SO SORRY for how long it took me to update this. There has just been a lot going on in the past year and I needed to sort some stuff out. This fic is very complex and I've been trying to plan it out in a way that makes sense (alternate timelines are tricky!). But I finally had a chance to jot down some ideas, and here is the product before you. It's unedited beyond my own two eyes, so forgive any major typos, I'll get around to fixing those at a later date. Here's hoping it doesn't take me so long to update next chapter :)

* * *

Almost two months after the end of the Third Shinobi World War, Obito Uchiha awakens in a prison cell at Konoha's police station.

Or more specifically, on the floor of a prison cell.

It's not the first time since returning home that he has found himself a guest of Konoha's Military Police; nor is it the first time he has woken himself up with his own thrashing and screaming. He knows it won't be the last, either.

Every night since Kannabi bridge, Obito dreams of Kakashi.

Minato calls it grieving, while the one time he mentioned it to her, Rin suggested post traumatic stress. Obito thinks they're both wrong. He thinks he's being haunted.

Despite how at-peace Kakashi seemed in death, the ghost that stalks Obito's nightmares is anything but. It berates him for not keeping his promise, repeating the nonsense he spouted in his final moments.

Names that mean nothing to him and entreaties to listen. Oaths sworn in the face of death.

Rin said that it's very likely that in his last moments Kakashi was deprived of oxygen, causing the speech centres of his brain to malfunction. During the day, Obito can repeat this to himself and ignore the nagging sense that he is supposed to be doing something important. At night, however, he is unprotected from the memory of Kakashi's judgement.

 _Speaking of judgement_ …

He can feel it practically radiating from the door of his cell.

Obito squints across the room, half-expecting to see Rin standing there, hands on her hips and a disapproving expression on her face, or even Minato with a worried frown. Instead, he stares up into the unyielding, hard-jawed face of Fugaku Uchiha, the captain of the police and the head of the Uchiha clan.

"S-sir," he mumbles, stumbling to his feet and attempting something resembling a bow.

"Obito," Fugaku says, his deep voice worryingly neutral as he addresses him. "The Illusionist. Hero of the Kannabi Bridge. Pride of the Uchiha—or so I've been told." He says all of this without any inflection, and each syllable rings with judgement. "Looking at you now, you don't live up to your legend."

"Uncle…"

"No. I am not your uncle here," Fugaku reminds him sternly. "I am your superior and your clan leader. And I am waiting to hear the explanation as to why a hero of the Third Shinobi War is frequenting taverns and picking fights with his clansmen."

Obito winces.

"We have lost enough of our people to the war, we will _not_ have infighting here," the head of the Uchiha continues in a forbidding tone. "Especially not from those lucky enough to return home. Others did not have your fortune. Too many of your cousins have died. Inabi Uchiha is more respectable than you, and he and his team gave their lives in the final hours of the war. You dishonour their memory with your behaviour."

"It's the memories of those we lost that I was trying to _defend_!" Obito snaps, and then adds a quick a tentative, "Sir."

Fugaku narrows his eyes. "Explain."

Obito scowls, wondering where to begin and how to avoid sounding like he blames Kakashi for all of this.

As the war entered its final months, Obito came into his own completely. His newly awakened Sharingan was much more powerful than he expected it to be. Coupled with the _chidori_ he learned from Kakashi, no man who stood against him on the battlefield lived to tell the tale. He and Rin were instrumental in helping Minato end the war several months earlier than anticipated, once their squad destroyed Kannabi Bridge.

They returned to Konoha as heroes, and suddenly everything was different.

Minato was nominated as Hokage and Rin went on indefinite leave from shinobi duties in favour of working in the hospital. Obito never had responsibilities before the war, not beyond looking after his grandmother, and so he was unprepared for the welcome awaiting him.

Aunts and uncles sang his praises and children followed him in the street. One of his distant relatives asked if she could name her newborn son after him. Cousins who had no time for him before the war—who couldn't debase themselves by being around a dead-last screw-up like him—were all suddenly clamouring for his attention. They plied him with drinks and spoke to him as if he held the future of the Uchiha clan in his palms.

And he welcomed it all.

Because the drinks numbed the pain and the memory of watching the life leave Kakashi's eyes. And those loud voices laughing and joking in the background drowned out the cold silence that Rin treated him to since that day.

For a while, he could forget the blatant absence of his friends.

Until the good-natured conversation about the war turned to criticism, and his clansmen started to speak about Obito's comrades. About how Minato was made Hokage to be a puppet, and how Rin obviously wasn't strong enough to continue the shinobi lifestyle. About Kakashi maybe not dying to _save_ them, but simply looking for a way to end his life quick the way his cowardly old man did.

That last one is the reason Obito is currently in jail and why he's pretty sure the knuckles of his left hand are broken.

But he's not about to explain all of this to the leader of his clan. Fugaku Uchiha isn't known for his sympathy or patience toward emotional outbursts.

"Those guys were disrespecting the people who fought and died to ensure the peace they currently enjoy," Obito eventually bites out. "Maybe beating the shit out of them wasn't the best choice, but it will make them think twice before they do it again." He pauses, then again adds, "Sir", though it's less deferential this time.

Fugaku is silent at this, considering Obito for several moments.

Then his mouth lifts in something that might—if it's not a trick of the light—be a smirk.

"I imagine they will," he says. Then narrows his eyes. "But if you do it again, I'll have you cleaning every public toilet in the village."

Obito gulps.

"The war is over—now is the time to decide what you intend to do in the future," Fugaku continues gruffly. "With a little discipline and perhaps learning to practice better judgement, you could do well as an officer."

"An…officer?"

"Konoha's police require men of substance, not simply strength."

Obito's eyes widen in surprise, having not expected a _job offer_ of all things when he woke up this morning. To be honest, he's never even considered working for the police force. He intends to become Hokage, after all, and to do that, he needs to rise through the shinobi ranks, which unfortunately doesn't include the military force.

"Respectfully, I must decline, Sir," he says. "I, uh, I have other plans."

Something like amusement twitches at the corner of Fugaku's mouth.

"I thought as much," he says quietly.

Then, in yet another surprise move, he opens the cell.

"Go home," he tells him. "Get your hand seen to. Sleep it off."

"Y-yes, Sir." He turns to leave.

"I'm not finished with you yet, Obito. I want you to meet me at this location at sunset," the police captain orders, pressing a paper into his hand. "Don't be late."

His tone hints at the consequence of defying him. Considering he once sentenced an officer of his to a month of manure inspection on the farms surrounding Konoha, just for having a crooked armband, Obito doesn't question him.

Instead, he swallows and looks down at the paper in his hand, carefully unfolding it. A moment later, he yelps as it bursts in to flames – but not before he sees the words imprinted on it.

 _Naka shrine._

火

Rin Nohara strides between the beds of several of her patients, making observations on their charts and scribbling notes into her clipboard. Her stomach growls, but she ignores it, used to going with meals while on a mission.

Even if this isn't exactly the same type of mission she trained for so painstakingly.

Since the end of the war, she has worked as a doctor in Konoha's hospital. It's a far cry from the danger of active shinobi duty, but she tells anyone who questions her decision to be here that medicine is her true calling. It's almost completely true, if not for the gaping hole in her life where her friends used to be.

 _A wound that will never heal_ , she supposes. It's permanent in the same way that Kakashi's death is. Somehow the idea of going back out in the field without such an integral part of her team—and integral part of her life and her heart—makes her feel sick.

His death should not have happened.

She goes over that day in her head over and over, walking herself through every option she could tried, every sacrifice she could have made for him to live and can't find out _how_. She isn't entirely sure what she'll do if she ever figures it out.

In the meantime, she refuses to let some other girl go through the pain of losing a comrade in the field, and throws herself into her medical studies. She was always a good student, but now she is obsessed, delving into the most technical basics of medicine and chakra manipulation to come up with a way to battle with Death…and win.

"Don't you ever go home, Rin?" one of her patients asks, joking tone unable to completely disguise his concern. He's is an older veteran of the war, who lost both his legs in an encounter with Iwa's Explosion Corps. "You have to sleep, don't you?"

"If I slept, who would take care of you?" Rin challenges with a smile, replacing an empty IV bag with a fresh one.

"You're too young to be so busy. Don't you have some nice young man to keep your company? I bet he's missing you."

Rin schools her features into her usual defence, a smile without substance and a light laugh. "No, no one's waiting for me. Aren't you lucky, you get me all to yourself."

He chuckles and agrees, and Rin leaves.

As she heads to her office, she frowns, thoughs flying to Obito.

It hurts to think of him too much, to think of either of her remaining teammates really, but him especially. She hasn't treated him very well, and knows it; but she has no idea how to be around him anymore.

The memory of his confession— _"Heh…I'd be a pretty crappy guy if I let the girl I love get killed, wouldn't I?"—_ is all tied up with everything else from that day. Fear and pain, the taste of blood and tears, Kakashi's kiss, the loss of a piece of her heart. It's not something she can explain to Obito, or even Minato-sensei when he tries to get her to speak.

Turning the corner, she almost ploughs headlong into another body.

"Sorry," she apologises distractedly.

"You should be," a voice replies. "Parental abuse is a serious offense."

Startled, Rin peers more closely at her hapless victim, and flushes in guilt as her father gazes down at her. Ryūma Nohara is a tired man in his late thirties, with light brown hair and the brown eyes she inherited, although his are ringed with more worry lines than hers.

"You're still here?" he asks her, grave and worried. "You should have gone home hours ago."

"I had to check on my trial results before I left," she replies.

"Your results won't be affected by a few hours of rest. Go home and sleep. Come back tomorrow."

"But I—"

"Consider it a directive from both your father and your boss," he tells her, affecting a stern frown. "You're already past your maximum shift hours."

"How do you…?"

"The nurses. They know everything," he smirks, but then his expression becomes grave again. "Rin…"

She can hear the worry and disapproval in his voice, and it makes her heart twinge. She only ever became interested in the field of medical ninjutsu as a genin because of him, and now here she is disappointing him.

"Fine," Rin sighs. "Just let me fill in the last of my charts and I'll go." Ryūma raises an eyebrow at her, and she assures, "I promise!"

Her father's expression softens. "How can I doubt you when you look at me like that? It's just like your mother."

Rin smiles sadly. Her mother was an elite ANBU who lost her life protecting the Third Hokage. The wound isn't as recent as others, but it still stings. She wonders how her father found the strength to go on afterward. She's never asked, though, afraid he'll tell her what she already suspects.

Ryūma glances around mock-surreptitiously, and then reaches over to give her a hug, which Rin returns. Then, they go their separate ways as they hear him being paged over the intercom.

Once in her tiny office cubicle, which is really more like a broom closet, Rin jots down the most recent results that she noticed amongst her trial patients. The past few days have been a string of _nothing_ , and it's frustrating, but it's also better than she hoped.

 _No news is good news in this case_ , she decides with a sigh, sitting back against her chair. _Maybe Dad's right, and I should—_

"Rin!"

She sits bolt upright as one of the nursing students hurries in, looking anxious. "What is it?"

"It's your friend—the Uchiha boy. He's here and he's asking for you."

"He knows better than to interrupt me at work."

"No, that's not…he's in the emergency care wing. He's been injured—"

Rin drops her clipboard and makes a run for it before the woman has even stopped talking.

 _Obito! Hurt!_

Heart in her throat, her mind casts back to the last conversation they had. She knows he's on the active duty roster, and Minato-sensei worried he might do something stupid, but she dismissed him and asked him to leave because she had work to do and—

 _Oh, gods, what if something happens before I see him again?!_

She practically throws the door to the examination room of its hinges, fully expecting to one of the other healers desperately trying to grasp him from the jaws of death.

Instead, she sees Obito, eyes clenched shut and gritting his teeth while her father sets the bones in his broken hand.

"Obito?" she croaks, confused. "Dad?"

"It seems your friend here needs to learn to be more specific," Ryūma says, sounding more amused than he should under the circumstance. "He asked for _Doctor Nohara_ expecting to see you. I think he got a bit of a shock."

"This is… _ouch_ …not how I pictured meeting you, Sir," Obito bites out.

"I wasn't aware that you wanted to," Ryūma replies brightly, shooting Rin a look that is both knowing and expectant. She can see a particular gleam in his eye that she's learned to be wary of.

"Well, you look like you've got a handle on this," Rin says quickly, starting to back out of the room. "I finished the last of those charts, Dad, so I'm actually going to head home, just like you said—"

"Now, now, don't run off, this is your friend," her father chides. "I have an idea—why don't you finish fixing his hand, and he can repay you by walking you home? I'd say that works out for everyone."

Obito's eyes bulge in panic, like he's both overjoyed and terrified at the prospect. Rin, on the other hand, feels like she can't breathe. Ryūma watches her expectantly, like he's waiting for her to come up with an excuse. She knows if she does, he'll have questions, none of which she wants to talk about.

"You're right," she brusquely, striding forward. "I've got it, Dad. You can go back to work now."

"See you around, sweetheart," he tells her. Over his shoulder, he adds, "Come by for dinner some time, hey, kid?"

Obito makes an undignified squeak in response.

With that, her father leaves her to finish caring for Obito's hand. Her own desire to flee warring with her training, she eventually sighs and reaches for the bandages.

They sit together in heavy, forced silence for several minutes, before Obito breaks it.

"So…" he begins. Her eyes flash at him in warning, and he swallows whatever he was going to say. Instead, he clears his throat, and mumbles, "How's work?"

Rin nods to herself; this is a question she can answer. It's easy to talk about work.

She checks that the bones have been properly fitted back into place, she concentrates and allows her chakra to flow outward, mending flesh and bone back together. At the same time, she relates in great detail how she's furthering her medical education, the surgeries she's sat in on the hours she's put in at the lab or researching in the library.

"I don't think I'll ever master anything like Lady Tsunade's _Sōzō Saisei_ , but I'm developing a healing pill that could allow for rapid healing in combat," she tells him. "It's still in the test stage, though, and there are a lot of kinks to work out."

"Like what?" he asks.

"It's excruciatingly painful during the healing process, and there's a long recovery time. You can be absolutely useless for days after using it while the body tries to recover from such a quick healing—kind of like a coma."

"That sucks," he agrees. "But it sounds like it's a start, though."

"It is," she agrees, sitting back. "How does that feel now?"

Obito studies his hand, waving his fingers and flexing his palm. "A lot better. Thanks, Rin."

"So are you going to tell me what you did?"

"Do I have to?"

She folds her arms, unimpressed.

"There was a…tiny disagreement," he admits. "That maybe involved fists and jaws."

"I got that, yes."

"They were saying stuff they shouldn't have."

"And you decided throwing yourself into a fist fight would fix that?" she demands, smacking him not-so-lightly in the shoulder. "Why would you do something so stupid?"

"It's not _that_ stupid…"

"Getting your hand broken is pretty stupid! Especially when you consider what could have happened if you picked a fight with the wrong person! Just because you're a hero now doesn't mean that you can't get hurt or die just as easily as anyone else!" she lectures him, voice rising out of her control with each syllable. "I'm supposed to watch out for you, which is kind of hard if you get your stupid self killed!"

"Rin—!"

"Go on, tell me what was so horrible that they said which you couldn't just let it go and walk away?"

"They were talking shit about our team!" he protests. "About you a—"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't need you to defend me!"

"It wasn't just—" he starts to shout back, and then his shoulders sag and he looks away. "Never mind."

Her sudden rage stalls, sense returning to her.

She realises he wasn't just defending her, but Kakashi.

A beat later, she exhales and asks flatly, "Do they at least look worse than you do?"

He glances up in surprise, and then a sheepish smile appears. "Well, I dunno…I ended up arrested. But I _think_ I saw one of them in the emergency room when I came in, so…"

She stands, turning her back on him.

"You still shouldn't have done it. Picking fights won't bring him back."

"No, but it makes me feel like I'm doing _something_ ," Obito returns bitterly. "He didn't exactly leave us with a way of remembering. Not really."

She clenches her fists, hearing Kakashi's voice in her head.

" _Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Remember those names."_

"And it's not like I can go to anyone else about it," Obito goes on. "The only person in the world I know who gets what this feels like…and you don't want anything to do with me."

"That's not true!" she protests.

"Yes, it is. You're different than you were. Distant."

"It's called grieving."

"I'm grieving too, but I don't want to be away from my friends while I'm doing it!"

"Maybe that's because it doesn't hurt you to be around us the way it hurts me to be around you!" Rin shoots back before she can stop herself.

Silence rings between them, and right away she sees the agony in Obito's eyes. It's familiar to her because she saw it the day he said goodbye to his best friend.

"Obito, I didn't…that's not what I…I didn't say that right…"

"Would you have been happier if I had been the one to die instead?" he asks, cutting of her explanation.

Rin instantly feels as if she has been turned to stone, then cracked into a million painful pieces. Her tongue is like lead in her mouth as she tries to respond to such a thing.

Obito obviously takes her silence as a 'yes'.

"I see," he says, getting up to go, but she snatches out a hand to stop him.

"How could you haven even asked me that?" she rasps, the words dragged from her throat as if over a bed of knives.

"Well what else am I supposed to think?" he counters. "All you've done since we've been back is shut me out. I thought it was just the grief at first, but it's not just that. You're hiding from something. I never thought you were a coward. You were always so brave, and good, and the _best_ of the three of us. So why are you doing this now?" When she can't answer, he exhales angrily through his nose. "No, you know what? Forget it."

"Don't you dare," Rin snaps. "You don't get to…to just start this, and then leave!"

"I think you've made it clear you don't want me around."

"I _do_ want you around!" she cries. "I just don't…I don't know how anymore. It…it just reminds me…and it's not fair to you when I…"

"I know you loved Kakashi," Obito tells her quietly. "I know you always will. I'm not asking you for anything that would dishonour that. I just…I want my friend back. I want us to be like we were before."

"It will never be the way it was before," she whispers, entire body trembling.

"I'll wait," he says. "Your friendship is the most important thing left in my life. And I'll earn it back if I have to wait forever. I just hope you don't make us both go through that."

The way he gazes at her then, she knows he believes that to be true. Tears well in her eyes, and she looks away.

Obito sighs.

"Thanks for fixing my hand, Rin," he tells her, and she feels the air displace as he moves past her. "I'll see you around. If you want."

She waits until she's sure he's gone before bursting into tears.

火

The recently elected Yondaime Hokage peers across the desk of his office, considering the man in front of him. The man who, by all rights, should be the one sitting in _his_ chair.

 _If it weren't for the distrust of the Elders and fecklessness of the daimyo, he would be._

Fugaku Uchiha is shorter than him, but he still manages to be imposing, with a face like granite eyes that are sharp even when his Sharingan is not active. In Minato Namikaze's experience, his temperament is even less welcoming.

"Will you have a seat?" he asks the head of the Uchiha clan, offering what he hopes is a disarming smile.

"I'll stand," Fugaku replies.

The response isn't a surprise, but it suggests what the tone of the following meeting will be. Rather than betray his exasperation with the stubbornness, Minato simply smiles wider and stands, walking around his desk until he is a few feet away from the other man. Leaning against the desk, he keeps his eye level with Fugaku, telegraphing a message while his hands rest on the wooden edge in subtle reminder.

 _We may be equals, but I'm still the one wearing the impractical hat. So even if you don't respect me, you_ will _respect this office._

One of Fugaku's eyebrows twitch, and for a moment he looks like he's about to bestow a nod of approval. But the moment passes, and Minato is once more staring down impassable granite.

 _So much for breaking the ice,_ he thinks with a sigh. Out loud, he says, "There were complaints about a disturbance in the Uchiha Compound."

"A matter which does not fall under your jurisdiction."

"The whole village is my jurisdiction," Minato replies, a bit more bite to the reminder than he intended. "The police are an extension of this village."

"Perhaps on paper."

Minato narrows his eyes now, losing a little more control over his politician's mask in the face of this frustrating individual. Something of the elite jōnin must show, a reminder that even if it was a twist of fate that made him Hokage, he is not without the skills to back up that appointment.

"It has been handled," Fugaku states neutrally.

"And for that I thank you." He allows his smile to re-assert itself. In a softer tone, betraying a little worry, he asks, "Was Obito really involved?"

"Not in the way you imagine," Fugaku says, and this time he sounds more weary than guarded. "It was a youthful scuffle. Someone forgot himself and a made a disrespectful remark concerning the dead."

"Even a grown man could be forgiven for reacting badly in that case," Minato suggests. "Recovering from a conflict such as we have is easy on no one. Much less so given how many we've lost."

"An Uchiha should be able to better control himself. It does not do well to lose control," Fugaku dismisses. "What did you really call me for? If it were just a question of security in the village, or concern over a former pupil, a message by hawk would have sufficed."

 _No one could ever say he isn't forthright,_ Minato thinks with a wince. He knows what follows will not be a pleasant conversation. Still, he decides to grant him the same candour.

"In the spirit of solidarity and to promote lasting peace in the village community, the Elders have suggested that the Konoha Military Police begin accepting candidates from beyond the Uchiha clan."

He allows the message to set in, keeping a close eye on the clan leader. Fugaku doesn't betray any reaction as he processes, and after several long moments, he finally says, "I would have to personally evaluate the fitness of each prospective candidate."

"Well, yes, of course," Minato agrees, relieved. He really did think it would be more difficult than that.

"Where would these recruits be coming from?"

"I imagine the same place you get your recruits now."

"They are recommended by current officers based on observations they make in the community and their own knowledge of our values," Fugaku says. "So, allow me to rephrase: who would be making the first recommendations to the force should my admittance requirements be…relaxed."

"The Elders have a few candidates in mind, I'm sure. Danzō Shimura in particular has experience choosing capable men and women."

"Ah. There it is," Fugaku says, and his mouth finally turns upward in a smile, but it's a hard and bitter one. "Tobirama's student wishes to insert his people into the one place in Konoha where he doesn't have ears."

"Spying? A serious accusation, and a giant leap to take," Minato says mildly, though it's an act.

He's _more_ than aware of Shimura's distrust of the Uchiha, having seen it first hand when he convinced the other council members and daimyo, one by one, that Fugaku Uchiha should not be Hokage. He's even experienced the man's scrutiny himself. Of those who voted on the position of Fourth Hokage, Shimura is the only one who refused to support Minato's candidacy. Since then, every interaction they've had has left Minato feeling like the older man is looking for the smallest weakness to start chipping away at him.

"It's better to take that leap if there's a dragon chasing you," Fugaku maintains stonily.

"Perhaps. But you make it sound like you have secrets."

"Every clan in this village has secrets. And every clan is entitled to those, so long as they don't jeopardise the security of the village. That was put into law by the First Hokage, if my history is correct."

"And what better way to protect the village than ensure its security is being maintained by the entire village and not a simple few?" Minato points out, returning to the issue at hand.

"If that were truly the case, the police would never have been assigned to the Uchiha," Fugaku snaps. "It was Tobirama Senju who enacted that as a means to isolate our people. We knew this, but accepted it so as to keep the peace in Konoha. Over the course of generations, we have made it an honourable and worthy institution in Konoha. And now you would take it from us?"

"That's not what this is."

"Then please, enlighten me as to what you, in your naivety, think it is," Fugaku growls. "Generations have passed without Konoha's leaders paying any attention to the police force or the men who serve. And now suddenly, a war ends and they decide it's the best time to stir the pot? The distrust was always there, _Lord_ Hokage, but attempts were made to keep it under wraps. _This_ is blatant and unapologetic."

By the time he finishes speaking, his shoulders heave with anger, and Minato suspects it isn't often that the leader of the Uchiha loses his temper in that way. His own anger simmers beneath his calm façade, because there is nothing wrong in what Fugaku has said.

"I am not naïve," Minato states coolly. "I know the history, and I can only guess at the motivations behind this move. But I also trust in this village. The will of Elders is not the will of the people, and the only way to ensure that the people are served is through cooperation. And I will need yours."

Fugaku frowns at him, calculating.

"You really don't know what they intend, do you?" he eventually realises.

"No."

"But you have suspicions."

"Yes."

The Uchiha leader raises a challenging eyebrow. "Care to share?"

"A naïve man would say that in light of the recent war, with so many of our heroes hailing from your clan, it's simply an attempt to extend the proverbial olive branch. A forgiveness of past distrust and a hope that in the future, Konoha will be less divided."

"If that were the case, restructuring the police is not the way to do it. What do you _really_ think."

 _That they're afraid of you,_ Minato thinks but doesn't say.

There were so many heroes among the Uchiha, ninja that are spoken of with awe both inside of the Compound and outside of it. If they become popular enough, there's no reason why one day, an Uchiha might not become Hokage. It's something Danzō and the Elders want to stop happening at all costs.

Revealing that to Fugaku, however, would be unwise at this juncture. Not while it's still only suspicion. It's better to not sow resentment and suspicion where it isn't yet warranted.

He flashes an edged smile. "It's too soon to say. And you never know who may be listening."

"Well, at least you have some sense," Fugaku snorts.

"In the meantime, I do have to relay something to the Elders," Minato says, returning to his chair and sitting down. "If they decide I'm being ineffective, they'll make running this village difficult. And not just for you or I, but for everyone."

 _Red tape, I'm learning, can be a bitch._

A muscle works in Fugaku's jaw, and it appears like he is doing some rather quick thinking.

"Tell them I will take their suggestion under advisement at the next clan meeting after Konoha's official period of mourning ends."

Minato's mouth tugs upward. "That's a year from now."

"Then I suppose you have a year to give more substance to that suspicion of yours."

"You know they won't be content with just that, though. They'll want evidence that I've got you well in hand." Fugaku raises his eyebrow again, the expression somewhat mocking, and Minato feels his cheeks darken. "You know what I mean."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Some suggestion that the Uchiha are willing to put the village's needs first."

"I take it you have a recommendation."

"A change, perhaps, to that clan law of yours," Minato says. "The one where anyone who marries outside of the Uchiha has to live outside of clan boundaries. Is that something you might perhaps…relax?"

"So the village doesn't just want to put their people in our police force, but in our homes as well," Fugaku snorts.

"Now _that_ is beneath you," Minato retorts. "Especially since I know you've been considering amending that law on your own."

"And what is your interest in it?"

"Let's call it personal experience," he suggests. "My parents chose to marry against their clans' wishes. I grew up with a name, but no connection to my family on either side. It's not a feeling I would wish on my child, and I doubt you would wish it on your own."

Fugaku folds his arms over his chest. "And how does this convince the villagers of my cooperation?"

"It's all in the manner it's presented," Minato points out. The other man makes a gesture like he should continue. "How do you expect the children of your clan to have a connection to their family and their village, when from birth they're told they're outsiders? You may see no benefit in the military police opening its doors to outsiders, but surely you can see some in value in allowing your clan to do so? Or do you intend to follow the example of the Hyūga?"

"To live amongst the Uchiha, one must be Uchiha," Fugaku retorts, and Minato stifles a groan, until he adds, "Any individual who married into the clan would have to renounce their name if they intend to live with their spouse within the compound."

Minato winces. "That's…not quite what I meant."

"It's the most compromise _my_ clan elders would be willing to accept."

Minato considers him for a long beat, and then sighs. "It's a start. I can work with that."

Fugaku nods in return.

"Alright," Minato exhales, feeling a little relieved. That wasn't as completely painful as he thought it would be. Perhaps this meeting can end on a good note, after all. "Now, on to another matter: I was thinking we could have dinner sometime."

"No offense, but I believe I can do better," Fugaku replies with neither expression nor intonation.

Minato blinks, realises what he just said, and then sputters.

"That's not…not what I…what I meant was…I'm not—!" He sees the glint in the other man's eyes, something merciless but amused at the same time, and he scowls. "Hey…" Fugaku's expression remains maddeningly unchanging while the Hokage clears his throat, embarrassed. "I only meant that Kushina would like you and Mikoto to come over for dinner. And bring Itachi. Since our wives are already friends, I think we should be as well."

"Why?" The leader of the Uchiha sounds as if he genuinely can't fathom a reason for it.

"Well…why not?"

"Hmph. This is not the Academy, boy."

"You're like seven years older, that hardly gives you the high ground to call me _boy_." Minato grumbles, but when Fugaku continues to look expectant, he says, "Alright, if you have no interest in friendship for friendship's sake, how about as a means of promoting unity in the village? If people can see the two of us getting along—"

"Ah, so it's a political ploy."

"Would-you-stop-twisting-things!" Minato hisses. "This is an olive branch, so stop being a stubborn asshole!"

Silence rings between them, and Minato's eyes widen in horror. He's never lost his temper like that before, not least of all while sitting in the Hokage's office where diplomacy and patience are meant to reign. And in front of a man whose support he's trying to garner…?

"Forgive me," he bows his head stiffly. "I only meant—"

"And here I thought you were just the spineless puppet they stuck in a hat to look pretty," Fugaku interrupts, and that's definitely something bordering on approval in his eyes. Possibly even respect, if Minato were desperate.

 _Whatever it is, I'll take it!_

"Blame Kushina," he says, laughing nervously. "I think she may be rubbing off on me."

"It's a poor fool who doesn't learn some of his wife's habits," Fugaku agrees. For a brief moment, they exchange a glance of companionship, the one beleaguered husbands with strong-willed wives always share. Then the other man's expression turns serious again. "But friendship won't change generations of distrust."

"Well, I don't know if I agree with you about that…but it's a start, don't you think?"

Fugaku thinks about this, and then says, "One of many, I suppose." He turns away. "We'll see in the coming year, I imagine, if that has any bearing."

He pushes open the door and disappears, leaving Minato staring at the door.

"So…is that a yes to dinner?" he calls after him. "You didn't exactly answer me…" There is no response and he sighs. "Uchihas…"

* * *

 _I was actually going to write more for this chapter…but it is sooooo long already. Besides, let's leave some stuff to be done for next installment._ _Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated! Thanks for your interest in my work!_

 _ **クリ**_


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